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Ebor Gorge
Ebor Gorge is located downstream from the Ebor Falls, about 750m from the tiny village of Ebor and about 80km from Armidale. The rock is all vertical columnar basalt up to about 20m in height, with about 180 climbs recorded in the area. Because of the columnar nature of the rock, the density of climbs is quite amazing, with a multitude of crack climbs situated very close together, punctuated with the occasional arete/face climb. If the climbs here were a little longer, Ebor would be another Frog Buttress.
Ebor is grouped into 6 "breakaways" (numbered away from the upper falls) and four buttresses ("Dead Heroes Buttress", "Solid Gold Buttress", "Pub Buttress", and "Bondage Buttress"). All areas have superb access, with less than 15 minutes walking for all but Bondage Buttress (which probably takes about 20 minutes to get to). In fact, breakaways 1 through 4 all take less than 10 minutes to get to, and are the most developed of the crags.
To get to the Ebor Gorge, leave Armidale heading east along Grafton Rd until you reach a T intersection (approximately 75kms). Turn right and after about 2kms keep an eye out on the left for the turn off to Ebor Falls. If you reach Ebor township, you've gone too far. To reach the first three breakaways, park at the first carpark. For the other three breakaways, park at the second carpark. The first lookout is directly above the first breakaway, while the second lookout is between the third and fourth breakaways. Gullies between the breakaways allow descent, or you can abseil off one of the numerous trees above the crags.
There are two good camping areas within the Cathedral Rock National Park, and both are less than 20 minutes drive from Ebor. The Native Dog Creek camping area is the closer of the two, and is located on the Guyra to Ebor road (turn left at the T intersection, if coming from Armidale).
The New England Tablelands have quite extreme temperature variations, with 30°C+ days common in summer, and snow quite common in winter. Therefore, unless you plan on sweating or freezing it out, you're probably best off planning a trip for either Spring or Autumn. Autumn is the pick of the seasons, since the weather is relatively stable, with warm days and cool nights. Regardless of the season, pack warm clothes, since the weather can change very quickly (we got hailed on at Easter, for example).
If you're planning a trip to Armidale, I'd recommend you get in touch with the local climbers, since I'm sure they'll be more than happy to show you around. The best places to get in touch with local climbers are the Mountain Designs outlet (which sells local guidebooks), the Armidale Outdoors camping store, and the University of New England Mountaineering Club.
Another minor point: Ebor is overrun with sword grass that can take a really nice chunk out of your skin if you let it. Be careful!
The updated Ebor guide is available here, or you can pick it up at Mountain Designs in Armidale. Note that this guidebook tends to exaggerate the heights of many of the climbs (ie. they are all given 15m, but many of them are actually about 10m in length).
A quick note before I launch into the route descriptions: If you're used to face climbing, be aware that many of the climbs at Ebor may appear to be sandbags (jump on "Twist" at the 4th breakaway for an example). This is because the climbs here tend to force you to crack climb: face holds generally don't exist, and the rock isn't as frictiony as sandstone or granite. Of course there is a positive side to this as well: if you want to learn to crack climb, Ebor is an excellent place to do it, since the cracks provide as much bomber protection as you can place, shorter lengths (so you can practice technique without getting too pumped out), gentle jamming (ie. the rock doesn't have big sharp crystals that remove skin), and an amazing variety of crack widths (with everything from perfect finger locks through to arm barring, foot stacking nightmares!).
1st Breakaway
Directly below the first lookout, and closest to the upper waterfall. Sunny in the morning, and shady in the afternoon (unlike the other 5 breakaways). Access is by abseil, or about 40m left (facing out) of the first lookout. Climbs described right to left (facing the cliff).
Seizure 12m 15
An excellent, textbook jam crack. Well worth an ascent, despite the bush at the bottom, the mossy nature of the crack and the dirty bush at the top. At the top bush, step right to the wide crack ("Boulder") and top out. Take #2 and #3 camalots and some slings for the tree belay.
The Joker 13m 17
Marked. The hardest 17 I have ever done! Squirm your way up the offwidth bottom half of the corner (#3 camalot, hexes), then jam or layback your way up the thin corner crack above (small cams) until you can reach out and right for a jug on the arete. Tree belay.
Caballero 13m 16
Start on top of the large fallen block. Tricky moves up and left of the roof (small cams / wires) to the gaping offwidth. Thrutch and grunt up the offwidth (#4 and #5 camalots) to the waiting spectators. Slung block and tree belay.
The Removalist 15m 15
Marked. A great, steep climb up an arching dihedral crack (cams and hexes and an embedded hex). Belay off the tree beside the lookout, with some cams in the blocks near the top of the climb.
2nd Breakaway
From the upper falls lookout, walk about 100m left (facing out) until a large gully is visible. Carefully scramble down this then continue walking under the broken cliff line until the first climbs appear. Probably the best of the breakaways, with a concentrated collection of excellent routes from the Epileptic Chimney on. Climbs described from left to right (facing the cliff).
Hitman 12m 13 (originally graded 15)
Marked (faintly). A very enjoyable and well protected face and crack climb up the front of a small column. Take a set of wires and cams to #2 camalot size. Tree and large cam (#3 and #4 camalot) belay.
Snakes and Ladders 12m 13
A well protected climb with no hard moves and plenty of rests. Belay off a smallish tree to the left and a #3 camalot in a block further back.
Epileptic Chimney 10m 3
A convenient descent route in the middle of the breakaway, directly behind "Ivory Stairs".
Ivory Stairs 15m 15
A rather loose and scary little route up the obvious V corner at the right hand end of the wall right of Epileptic Chimney. At the top of the corner step left, then step up the wide crack (crux) to a ledge and the top. Double bolt belay on the back of the detached column (take brackets).
Fear and Loathing 15m 17
Marked. Jam up the crack (crux) to the large block on the right hand face, then up to the top of the detached column. 2 belay bolts on the back edge of the column (take brackets).
Fingers 12m 18
The right hand, narrowing crack starting from the top of the large fallen block. A fantastic route, which will really test your crack climbing technique. From rattley jams, the crack closes down to tight jams then on down to finger locks in the upper section (crux). A comfortable tree belay on top.
3rd Breakaway
Park in the lower falls carpark, and walk back towards the falls until the breakaway appears down to your left. Walk down the steep, loose descent gully and then along the bottom of the breakaway. I would really recommend abseiling in, as the hillside here is extremely steep and loose, and covered in sword grass. In addition, the bottom of the breakaway is infested with blackberry bushes, so getting around the bottom of the cliff is rather difficult. On the positive side, this breakaway features some of the steepest and highest walls I've seen at Ebor, with a number of extremely difficult lines still to be done (there are also one or two projects here).
4th Breakaway
Park in the lower falls carpark, and walk away from the falls, over a creek and through a barbed wire fence. Follow the rim of the gorge until you reach a wide, steep gully. Descend this gully, and then head back along the bottom of the cliff towards the second lookout. Climbs described right to left (facing the cliff).
Twist 10m 16
A truly excellent crack climb, and certainly the hardest, most sustained 16 I've ever done. I've attempted this climb twice now, and both times been spat out at less than half height. The jams are good, though, provided you get them deep and well set, and the two stances let you depump and chalk at least a little bit. Take two #2 camalots and two #3 camalots, and I also placed a #1 camalot from the ground. Belay off the tree, and rap back down to the bottom (it's also a snap to "sport climb" this route by putting a sling around the tree and lowering off).
5th Breakaway
Follow the directions to the 4th breakaway, but instead of turning back towards the lookout at the bottom of the descent gully, continue on for another 50m or so below the broken cliffline. Climbs described left to right (facing the cliff).
Jugular 15m 18
A ripper of a jam crack through two rooves (the first about 1 foot deep, the second about 3 and a half feet deep). A piker's variant heads right and around the second roof, sans pro. Above the second roof, the climb becomes very licheny and quite loose, and could definitely do with some cleaning. Tree belay.
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